1. Death Valley beatdown: Florida State took all the suspense out of the ACC’s first top-5 showdown since 2005 – and fourth ever – by routing Clemson 51-14. The Seminoles’ point total was the most ever allowed by the Tigers on their home field. The resounding victory was by far the most significant of coach Jimbo Fisher’s tenure and improved FSU to 6-0 for the first time since 1999 – which also happens to be the last time the Seminoles won the national championship under former coach Bobby Bowden.

2. Devil of a comeback: Duke trailed 22-0 in the first half, but roared from behind to score 35 unanswered points to beat Virginia for the fifth time in six years. The Blue Devils’ defense allowed only 85 yards in the second half while the offense converted four fourth downs – including one for a 47-yard TD pass from Brandon Connette to TE Braxton Deaver for the go-ahead score.

3. Super sub: Miami’s offense took a major hit when leading rusher Duke Johnson left with a “lower body injury” in the first half Thursday at North Carolina. But backup Dallas Crawford came to the rescue with 137 yards on 33 carries and two TDs to help keep the Hurricanes unbeaten. Crawford scored the winning TD with just 16 seconds left, capping a final 90-yard drive in which he carried the ball on eight of his team’s 13 plays.

Wake’s Michael Campanaro became Wake’s all-time leading receiver with his 217th career catch.

4. Determined Deacs: NT Nikita Whitlock set the tone with a sack on the game’s first play and Wake Forest never let the momentum fade in a 34-10 rout of Maryland that made coach Jim Grobe the winningest coach in school history. Not only did the Deacons catapult themselves back into bowl contention, but their fans gave the Terps a rude sendoff to the Big Ten by chanting “ACC! ACC!” during the final few minutes.

5. Back to basics: After an interception on his team’s opening possession against Syracuse, Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson decided to stop throwing the ball and stick to what his team does best – run the ball. And the Yellow Jackets ran. And ran. And ran. They rushed 67 times for 394 yards and seven TDs en route to a 56-0 blowout.

5 NEGATIVES

UNC offensive lineman Landon Turner after Thursday’s loss to Miami

1. Zero Dark Letdown: UNC got an inspired performance from its much-maligned defense and had a season-changing victory within its grasp Thursday against Miami. But thanks to an inability to score TDs in the red zone, some over-coaching by Larry Fedora on a late third-and-one situation and an inability to finish, the Tar Heels blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead and fell to 1-5 with a potentially devastating 27-23 loss.

2. Tiger rag: Clemson in general and QB Tajh Boyd in particular wilted under the glare of the national spotlight by getting manhandled by Florida State. Boyd took himself out of the Heisman Trophy race by completing only 17 of 37 passes for 156 yards, only about half his season average. The Tigers took themselves out of the national championship picture by committing four turnovers and having their defense exposed to the tune of 565 yards and 35½ minutes of FSU possession time.

3. Edsall a lemon on the road: Maryland’s no-show at Wake Forest dropped coach Randy Edsall’s record to 1-9 in ACC road games during his three seasons with the Terps. Edsall’s team lost despite outgaining the Deacons 383-307 and lost its top two receivers – Stefon Diggs and Deon Long – to add injury to insult.

David Watford and Virginia struggled in the second half against Duke

4. London bridge is falling: Virginia coach Mike London got a vote of confidence from AD Craig Littlepage earlier in the week, but Littlepage might be reconsidering after London’s Cavaliers squandered a 22-0 lead in losing to Duke. Virginia has now lost four straight and is 2-5 overall (0-3 ACC) with Clemson, Miami and Virginia Tech still left to play.

5. Orange crushed: Syracuse’s 56-0 loss at Georgia Tech was its most lopsided defeat since getting beat 59-0 by No. 1 Miami in 2001. The Orange committed three turnovers, including it first lost fumble in their last 445 offensive plays. It also had its first punt blocked since 2009, ending a streak of 45 games without one.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE WEEK

The ACC’s “Game of the Century” didn’t live up to expectations, but that doesn’t mean the league lost Saturday night. It still has a legitimate national championship contender in Florida State and a charismatic Heisman Trophy candidate in Jameis Winston. And as long as the Seminoles take care of business against N.C. State and Miami beats Wake Forest next week, the ACC will also get another top 10 matchup in two weeks when FSU plays the Hurricanes.

STAT OF THE WEEK

Wake Forest QB Tanner Price caught a touchdown pass, ran for a score and threw a TD pass to WR Michael Campanaro during the Deacons’ 34-10 thumping of Maryland. In doing so, he became the first player in school history and only the fourth nationally this season to accomplish the feat. The last ACC player to catch, run and throw for a TD in the same game was Clemson’s C.J. Spiller in 2009. .

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Winston

Price, Pittsburgh RB Isaac Bennett, who rushed for 240 yards, and UNC tight end Eric Ebron, who broke a school record for TEs with 199 receiving yards, all picked a bad week to have big games. Because no one in the ACC had a more productive and significant performance than Florida State’s Jameis Winston. The freshman QB completed 22 of 34 passes for 444 yards and three touchdowns. He also had a rushing TD in leading the Seminoles to a 51-14 rout of Clemson.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“We don’t play against noise. We’re playing against the Clemson Tigers. It was amazing, when we were out on the field that first snap. It was loud and we started smiling because we don’t play against noise.” Florida State QB Jameis Winston.

LOOKING AHEAD

N.C. State returns from its bye week with starting quarterback Brandon Mitchell back under center hoping to catch FSU in a trap game in Tallahassee. UNC will try to keep its fading bowl hopes alive at home against Boston College while Duke travels to Virginia Tech and Wake Forest plays at Miami.